The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

FOR the first time ever, the Bahamas will host the 22nd Commonwealth Lawyers Conference (CLC) in September 2021, attracting more than 1,000 lawyers and visitors from across the Commonwealth.

The four-day conference will be held at Baha Mar from September 5 to the 9, 2021 under the theme “Sustainable Justice: The Future Role of The Law.”

“We think the theme chimes in with environmental issues that are so important hitting the news, but sustainable justice is also about sustainable independence of the judiciary,” said Brian Speers, president of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association.

“It is about sustainable lawyers in practice being aligned to support their clients and to make awkward points which might not be to the liking of the incumbent government.”

The biennial conference, he said, will also be an opportunity to both showcase the legal profession in the country and the country’s world class resort- Baha Mar.

Noting the event will be the first to completely fill out all rooms in Grand Hyatt, Baha Mar’s president, Graeme Davis expressed gratitude to the association for providing resort officials with the opportunity to host the conference.

“It is an absolute incredible opportunity and the first ever to fill all 1,800 rooms of our Grand Hyatt,” he said.

“To be able to share Baha Mar, the Bahamas and the cultural and rich opportunities here to share all of the cultural experiences with members of the Commonwealth Law Association from around 52 nations is an absolute incredible opportunity to showcase the immense beauty and culture here in the Bahamas.”

Speaking at yesterday’s press conference, Attorney General Carl Bethel also added that the country was privileged to host such a “prestigious” conference.

“We trust that your prestigious conference will attract the fullest support and participation of bench and bar and we look forward to having a very successful conference,” he noted.

“Hurricane Dorian, in early September ravaged our country, wreaking untold havoc and destruction… (But) we are determined to restore those losses suffered as best we can and as quick as we can by so next September, a restored Bahamas can meet and greet and welcome each of you and our commonwealth law association brothers and sisters.”

The Commonwealth Lawyers Conference is organised by the Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) in London, and has been hosted since 1955 in countries such as Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

With the conference set to take place in the Bahamas next year, it will be the second time CLC will be held in the region as the first time was in Ocho Rios, Jamaica in 1986.